On Monday, AWS had a major DNS outage that knocked out smart devices across the globe — but not mine. In this video, I explain how my smart home stayed functional thanks to HomeAssistant, local automations, and a healthy dose of Alexa skepticism (AlexaDown) From smart beds overheating to locks failing, the outage exposed the fragility of cloud-dependent setups. I walk through what worked, what didn’t, and why going local is the future of resilient home automation.

🧠 Featuring: – Real-world impact of AWS DNS failure

– Smart home fails (and wins) – Home Assistant voice preview
– Cloud vs local automations – Why Alexa didn’t ruin my evening
🔧 Tools mentioned: Home Assistant, Cloudflare, Alexa, Ring, Namukasu
👍 Like, subscribe, and share if you believe smart homes should be smarter — even when the cloud isn’t.

I wasn’t sure what to film today… and then it hit me like a Zigbee packet to the face. Let’s talk about Matter bulbs — what they are, how they’re different from your average WiFiBulbs / smart bulbs, and why the big tech companies had a slightly awkward group chat that led to Matter being born. (and how it works in Home Assistant) In this video, I’ll take you on a quick time-travel trip through smart home history, explain what Matter is (and isn’t), and then walk you through setting up a Matter over WiFi bulb in Home Assistant.

Spoiler: it involves QR codes, Alexa, and me accidentally picking pink again like every automation should If you’re into smart home stuff, Home Assistant, or just enjoy watching someone mildly struggle with tech so you don’t have to — you’re in the right place.

Ever screamed at your smarthome and wondered why it’s dumber than your toaster? This video flips the script—turning HomeAssistant from a rule-based rage machine into a conversational AI that actually gets you. We dive deep into intent recognition, Ollama model integration (LocalAI), and how to make your automation’s feel less like rigid scripts and more like thoughtful responses. Tech saves the day! As Normal it goes a bit wrong but I save the day

🔧 What you’ll learn: How to wire up Home Assistant with local LLMs (like Mistral or Phi)

Crafting playful, natural-language automations (yes, even for bin day)

Why your GPU might be the real villain—and how to tame it

Whether you’re a seasoned automator or just tired of yelling “turn on the lights” like a caveman, this guide will help you build a smarter, sassier home.

Ever wondered if you really need a wall-mounted dashboard for your smart home? In this video, I dive into the world of Home Assistant dashboards—from the basics of wall setups to lazy ways of creating powerful dashboards with just a few clicks. Whether you’re planning a sleek touch-sensitive display or just exploring experimental layouts like “Area” and “Home,” this video breaks it down with humor, honesty, and practical advice.

👀 What you’ll see: – Do you even need a dashboard? – Choosing the right device and screen size – Creative placement ideas (yes, even behind a mirror) – My personal dashboard setup with sensors, cameras, and media players – Exploring new default dashboards in Home Assistant – Sneak peek at my future touch-screen build

👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you don’t miss part two—where I build the ultimate wall dashboard!

In part three of my “Complete Rubbish” series, bin day automation gets a voice—and a vengeance. So you have a home assistant automation that tells you :-

Is a dashboard to tell you what bins to put out Is lights that show you what colour bins to take out This time, I’ve added:

🗣️ A voice nagging system to remind you (politely-ish) to take the bins out

🟢 A physical button to confirm you’ve done your civic duty

📳 A vibration sensor on the bin itself to detect movement and verify it’s been taken out Using Home Assistant, ESPHome, and a healthy dose of British bin banter, I walk through the setup, logic, and automations that make this system smarter than your average trash reminder. If you’ve ever ignored a bin notification, this one’s for you. If your bins have ever staged a rebellion… well, now they’ve got sensors. 🔧 What you’ll learn: – How to trigger voice alerts with Home Assistant – ESPHome button and vibration sensor setup – Automation logic for bin movement detection

📺 Watch the full “Rubbish” series:

1️⃣ [Bin Day Automations That Aren’t Rubbish](https://youtu.be/yourlink1)

2️⃣ [Trash Day Just Got Flashy](https://youtu.be/BQ8xUV81rgU)

In this part two of my “Rubbish” series, I take bin day automation to the next level

—literally lighting up the driveway with a WLED-powered LED square that changes colour based on which bins are going out great for your smarthouse.

Using HomeAssistant and WLED, I walk through the setup, configuration, and logic that makes this bin reminder not just functional, but fabulous. Whether it’s recycling, general waste, or garden clippings—your LEDs will know before you do.

Perfect for smart home enthusiasts, automation nerds, and anyone who’s ever wheeled out the wrong bin. 🛠️ Featuring: – WLED setup – Home Assistant integration – LED color logic based on bin schedule – A sprinkle of humour and a dash of RGB

💡 Missed Part 1? Catch up on the original bin automation setup! https://youtu.be/BQ8xUV81rgU?si=gz7gADdplGX6_1bz

Link to 8 by 8 grid https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167518642492 Subscribe for more smart home hacks, automation ideas, and tech with a twist.

Subscribe for more – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2ApL51kOA9bnJOLxjducnw?sub_confirmation=1

 

In this part two of my “Rubbish” series,

I take bin day automation to the next level—literally lighting up the driveway with a WLED-powered LED square that changes colour based on which bins are going out great for your smarthouse. Using HomeAssistant and WLED, I walk through the setup, configuration, and logic that makes this bin reminder not just functional, but fabulous.

Whether it’s recycling, general waste, or garden clippings—your LEDs will know before you do.

Perfect for smart home enthusiasts, automation nerds, and anyone who’s ever wheeled out the wrong bin.

🛠️ Featuring: – WLED setup – Home Assistant integration – LED color logic based on bin schedule – A sprinkle of humour and a dash of RGB

💡 Missed Part 1? Catch up on the original bin automation setup! https://youtu.be/BQ8xUV81rgU?si=gz7gADdplGX6_1bz

Link to 8 by 8 grid https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167518642492

Tired of forgetting bin day? In this video, I show you how to automate your waste collection reminders using Home Assistant—from setting up the Waste Collection Schedule integration to building toggles, scripts, and a custom dashboard that actually works. Whether you’re dealing with food waste, garden clippings, recycling, or good old-fashioned rubbish, this guide walks you through every step with humor, clarity, and a sprinkle of British bin banter.

🔧 What you’ll learn: – How to install and configure the Waste Collection Schedule integration – Creating toggles and helpers for each bin type – Writing scripts to detect upcoming collections – Building a dynamic dashboard that updates automatically

💡 Perfect for beginners and seasoned Home Assistant users alike!

📅 Never miss bin day again. Subscribe for more smart home automation tips, tutorials, and techy nonsense.

Ever wondered if you could ditch Windows10 and switch to Ubuntu and still get everything done—without spending a fortune or upsetting the household CFO?

In this video, I take my ageing laptop and give Linux Ubuntu a proper go. From installing the OS to testing out everyday apps like Edge, Chrome, Office (LibreOffice) alternatives, Netflix, and even Copilot on a full LinuxDesktop, I walk through what works, what doesn’t, and what mildly panics me along the way.

If you’re curious whether Linux can handle your daily digital life (and maybe save you from buying a £1,000 laptop), this one’s for you.

No hype, no drama—just a real-world test with a few laughs and a lot of tabs. Will – WindowsToUbuntu work ?

Links Edge https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/download?form=MA13FJ

Chrome https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/chrome/?platform=linux#fast

Top cash back https://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/martynhsmith

Tabby – https://tabby.sh/

 

Ever had a smart light that just wouldn’t quit?

Or an automations that overstayed its welcome like a dinner guest who doesn’t know when to leave? In this video,

I show you how to use **Home Assistant timers** to stop automations cleanly and cleverly. Whether you want lights to turn off after motion stops, or music to fade out after a set time, timers are your go-to tool for graceful exits.

🛠️ What You’ll Learn:

– How to create timers in Home Assistant
– Automations that start and stop based on timer events
– Tips for restarting timers with new triggers
– Common quirks and how to fix them

💬 Got a timer trick of your own? Drop it in the comments!